Scale.



P ATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

I. F. WEAR.

SCALE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED AUG.1, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FRANK F. WEAR, OF SAN'FRANGISOO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO TOLEDO COMPUTING SCALE COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SCALE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

- Application filed August 1, 1906- Serial No. 272,180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. WEAR, a citlzen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Franshown em odied in a scale 0 the drum or cylinder type, in which the com uting chart or table is mounted on a rotatab e drum and whose com utations or price totals are adapted to Fe exposed through a transverse slot or sight opening in an outer cylinder or housing, althou h, as will. be evident from the description ereinafter given, my invention is not to be restricted 1n its application or scope to such particular type of scale. Ordinarily, in the type of scales ust referred to the sight opening ex oses all the series of columns of figures whic correspond with the different rices per pound or other unit of weight w 'ch appear on one side or edge of the sight opening, generally the lower edge, so that in reading the scale the salesman must first pick out the proper price per pound among the transverse row of such different prices and then read the price total correspondin to that particular rice per pound. It requently happens, owever, that some particular scales in a store are employed in dispensing a limited number of commodities at a limited number of different prices per unit of weight, so that certain of the price totals on the chart are 'in effect unnecessary, inasmuch as only those price totals which corres ond to the particular prices per pound of suc articles are required to be read. Consequently, it is desirable under such conditions to provide means whereby only that series or column of figures representing the active rices per unlt of weight shall be exposed, the remainin price totals of the chart being covered or o soured from view, and such is the object of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the computing portion of a drum or cIyl'linder type of scale, and Fig. 2 a section on t e line 22 of Fig. 1.

Although I have shown my invention as ap lied to the well known form of drum or cy inder scales, it will be understood that my invention is not to be limited thereto, except where the claims expressly so require. It is evident that my invention is applicable to other forms and constructions 0 scale and in fact I contemplate using my invention wherever applicable.

Referring to the present, embodiment of my invention, the computing devices of the illustrated scale comprise an outer casing or housing 1, having as usual, a transverse slot 2 forming the sight opening for the pur ose of exposing the corn uting chart or tab e 3. This chart, on whic are printed the usual series or columns of figures representing the price totals at different prices per pound is mounted as usual upon a rotatable frame 4 and connected with the operating parts of the scale in a we which is so well known as not to require llustration or descri tion. As is usual, the sight 0 ening is edge with a frame having paralle transverse bars or strips 5, between which are arranged in-- wardly directed strips 6 and 7 a proaching each other and forming the sig t opening proper, in which is secured as usual a longitudinal lens 8. The lower strip is provided, as shown in Fig. 1, with the series of figures which, in the present instance, run from 4 to 27, representing the different .prices per pound and correspond in relative position with the series or columns of price totals on the drum. As usual, the chart is provided with acentral series of figures representingweights, the scale, according to the illustration, representin a load of three pounds.

' Upon a suitab e transverse rod or rods 9 are-pivoted a series of independently operable and similar shutters 10 corresponding in number to the number of diflerent .prices per pound indicated on the scale and corres 0ndmg also, of course, to the number of d' erent series of price totals. These shutters are pivoted, as shown, at a point above the sight opening proper in such a manner that when yielding pressure each shutter in either raised or closed position, as the case may be and as shown in Fig. 2, I accomplish this result-b providing'the eye or .bearmgportion of eac shutter with an extension or cam face 11 arran ed to bear against'a s ring plate 12, in suc mannerasto be hel by the spring in either one position or the other, as is evident.

' particular conditions of use of the scale, covered or obscured. By these means, the

' salesman is able to read the price total with greater readiness and facility than when all of the price totals corresponding to the different rices per pound ,are exposed to view throu'g the sight opening.

According tov the present shutter corresponding to the 12 price er pound has been opened and all of the ot er shutters remain closed, so that when the load of three pounds is placed upon the scale the price total, 36, is .alone exposed through the sight opening. It" willzbe un derstood, however, that in practice a plurality of the shutters may be open and kept open for selling different articles at different prices per pound and also that it is not intended that each shutter shall be opened for each transaction, but that the particular shutters representing the different prices per pound at which the articles are to be sold that day onthe scale are or instance, in case the scale was used by a butcher sellingdifif'erent meats or qualities of meat at four different prices, for lnstanceat 12, 16, 18 and 20 per pound, the particular shutters corresponding to those prices would be lifted and le t in that condition for the day or other eriod of time, when these prices' obtain.

hus, when there is no considerable variation in the different prices per'pound of the different articles sold b a scale, the reading of the price total by t e-salesman may be greatly facilitated by the use of my inven-' I ion. 1 I

.By preference, I provide the backs of the shutters with the transverse indicating line 10 which indicates the correct place at which to read-the. rice totals inthe sight opening where-the s utter is raised. For instance, 1n Fig. 1, the lines 10* on the two shutters on either side of the raised shutter indicate that the value of the article is exactly 36, masmuch as the number 36 comes exactly opposite said lines.

illustration, the

.the path of movement 0 0 ened and left open for all transactions.

formed in any suitable manner, with the resulting advantage that when a shutteris raised or o ened, such surface will serve to reflect the ight directl upon the column' of thereby illuminate the be read by the salesman.

"It willbe understood, as hereinbefore suggested, that an suitable means may be employed for hol ing the shutters in one position or the other with a yielding pressure or in such manner that they will'be maintained in raised or opened position, as the case ma e. held in open or closed position by s ring pressure a orded by the spring late 12 ereinbefore referred to. Accor ing to the illustrated construction, this plate is formed as a stri secured to the plate 6 and having a series 0 slits entering from its lower edge so as to provide the springs proper arranged in the extension or cam face 11 hereinbefore referred to. However, this particular feature of construction is subject to considerable variation mechan- 1. The combination with a chart of com In the present instance, each shutter 1s as price totals with whic it corresponds and price total which is to .ically and I therefore do not limit myself to putations and a price scale relatively m0v-" sion thereof, said shutterswhen closed con-' cealing the chart but leavin the price scale exposed and each shutter eing independently movable to expose a division of the chart representing multiples of the ass0ci-a ted price unit of the scale. I

2. The combination with a chart of computations and a price scale relatively movable, of "a .seriesfofffshutters adjacent the price scale and fixedly located with relation thereto, there being a shutterfor each division thereof, said shutters when closed concealing the chart but leaving the price scale exposed and each-shutter being independently movable to expose a division of the chart representing multiples of the associated price unit of the scale and having a reading line to guide the eyewhen the shutter isclosed and an adjacent one open.

3. In a scale, the combination, with a housing having a sight 0 ening or slot, a,

hinged upon the housing at one side of the sight opening, said shutters being independently movable to obscure or expose any desired column of figures, each shutter having on its back a line indicating the correct point at which to take the reading; substantially as described.

4. In a scale, the combination, with a computing chart having different series or columns of figures representing values at different prices per pound, of a series of shutters corresponding in number to the different columns and adapted to stand open at an angle to the chart, each of said shutters having a reflecting surface on its inner face case in the Patent Office.

[SEAL] for casting light upon the chart; substantially as described.

5. In a scale, the combination, with a computing chart having different series or columns of figures representing values at different prices per pound, of a series of shutters corresponding in number to the different columns, each of said shutters being curved and having a reflecting side on its inner surface for casting light upon the chart; substantially as described.

FRANK F. WEAR.

Witnesses:

S. E. HIBBEN, ALLEN DE VILBIss, Jr.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 872,486, granted December 3, 1907, upon the application of Frank F. Wear, of San Francisco, California, for an improvement in Scales, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as

follows: In line 24, page 3, the word side should read surface, andin line 25, same page, the word surface should read side; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the Signed and sealed this 17th day of December, A. D., 1907.

C. C. BILLINGS.

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

